A Rose by any other name
by hazydaze
Summary: JackxGwen. Jack starts off feeling a bit romantic but in the end it becomes more meaningful that he expected.


Author Notes: Was originally suppose to be introspect on Jack's romantic nature but ended up being - this. Shows you how retarded my mind can be sometimes. I know it doesn't answer every question it poses and it isn't supposed to. Yes, the title is a reference to Shakespeare's famous quote. Also the mention of the orchid is a shout out to my family. They keep buying these for my mum who calls them Stick and ends up killing them. Every single one.

Romance was something that was severely lost on the 21st Century, Jack mused. So busy rushing, groping and pretty much man handling anything in their path. Jack often admired the quality, it wasn't back home were the term free love involved at least 3 people in a bed at least, he now sometimes found it lacking. Being trapped in the 20th Century he had developed a certain traditional quality within himself. It didn't often surface, his overwhelming sexual prowess was undeniable. But still a little part of himself felt romanced by the time he had lived in. His clothes reflected it even if his behaviour didn't.

His lips quirked as he eyed his greatcoat in the corner of his office, pulled it off the hook, he slid it over his broad shoulders before approaching the door. Jack looked up startled to see Gwen coming in with a file.

"Going somewhere Jack?" Gwen asked, trying to keep neutral but her eyes told him she was intrigued.

"Yeah as a matter of fact, coming?" Jack asked as he slid by Gwen. As he headed for the stairs he called to Ianto. "Ianto. I need the keys to the SUV."

Ianto nodded, wordlessly pulling the keys from his suit pocket. Throwing them up to Jack, who caught them effortlessly. Jack watched the motion with great intensity. Ianto often remained unruffled by anything, his suit more like armour that clothing. Unmoving. Unwavering. Ianto blinked as he caught sight of Jack's lustful gaze.

"Sir?" Ianto asked in his official tone. That was a turn off for Jack as well. Jack knew better, Jack had seen and heard what was under all that 'proper' behaviour. Personally he had never met anyone with such a…profane vocabulary. Ianto Jones was holding out on them.

"You. Are. A huge distraction. Here I am forgetting myself." Jack grinned as Gwen came out behind him, jacket on and suited up for their excursion.

"Sexual harassment, sir." Ianto said in retort as he picked up a coffee cup to take back to the kitchen.

"You say harassment, I say fun. Potato, potato." Jack said offhandedly. His gaze went straight to Ianto's backside as he turned to pick up another cup.

Gwen nudged Jack in the back before telling him, "I'm sure Ianto's arse will still be the same when you get back."

If he had been anybody else he might have flushed at the comment but he wasn't. He was Captain Jack Harkness, "I'm sure it will be but what about yours?"

Gwen, on the other hand, flushed a nice shade of pink as Jack took her hand and made his way out to the hub parking lot. Opening Gwen's door for her, Jack waited until she was inside before closing the door. Walking around to the driver's side door he opened it, slid himself in to the seat comfortably.

"So where are we going Jack?" Gwen tried again.

"You'll see." Jack smiled as he started the ignition.

"A florists?" Gwen asked incredulously.

"Yes. A florists." Jack smiled and greeted the shop owner, an elderly man in his 60's at least. In return, he smiled and shook Jack's hand. It was obvious they knew each other fairly well.

Gwen frowned as she followed Jack, who quite happily took in all the sights and smells around him. His gaze seemed to scrutinise every flower as he passed. He obviously knew what he was looking for so this seemed a tad redundant.

"Jack I get that you're full of - quirks. But this…" Gwen was again startled when Jack turned to her with an orchid in hand. It had pale pink petals as it curled around a stick which held it upright.

"What do you think?" Jack asked her earnestly.

"Umm. It's…nice?" Gwen frowned as Jack sat it back down before continuing on.

"Mr Harkness." The shop owner called from his counter. Jack looked up and proceeded to walk back to the counter. Gwen stumbled after him.

Reaching the counter, Jack nodded, rather enthused. The florist had set out three bunches of roses, one set red, one yellow and finally one white. "Peter, you've out done yourself this time. These are prefect."

"I do my best Jack." The florist pulled out the necessary wrappings for the roses as Jack's mind began to wander. He walked back into the greenery, Gwen was about to follow him when Peter placed a hand over Gwen's.

"So you must be the lovely Gwen, I presume." Peter said, patting her hand affectionately. He smiled when he saw Gwen's puzzled look. "Oh yes, Jack talks about you often and about his Ianto. Never the same though."

Gwen looked confused, "He doesn't talk about the same things?"

"No, no. When he talks about Ianto, he is rather…animated." The two laughed as they knew how 'animated' Jack could be. "But when he talks about you…it's like…his world slows down."

Gwen wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that but she needn't have worried as Peter continued to wrap the roses and talk. "I've known Jack all my life, you know. Since I was a boy. I remember the last time he asked for roses. It was his wedding, something about a tradition."

"Wait Jack's wedding? Jack was married?"

"Oh yes. My da was the one who served him back then but I remember. His fiancée was a lovely girl. Not like you though."

Reeling from the revelation Gwen tried to compose herself, "What was she like then?"

"Estelle? Nice girl but not right for our Jack." Peter cut the paper, completely unaware how much his words were affecting Gwen. Gwen knew Jack had been with Estelle - but marriage?

"What do you mean not right?" Gwen pressed.

"Well they were all set to be married but Jack decided he couldn't do it. Made some excuse about needing to leave. There was a war on at the time." Peter looked up at Gwen who was currently trying to processes so much information she thought she might explode.

"So they didn't get married?" Gwen asked, just to reassure herself.

"No. They didn't. But Jack always vowed he would come back to see her. Too many secrets between those two, I think." Gwen nodded numbly. Gwen was well aware that Jack had been too see her. Or Jack's 'son' had. She was also completely oblivious to Jack's apparent immortality.

Gwen got up blindly and headed for the door completely ignoring Peter and then Jack when he saw her leaving.

"Gwen. Gwen?" Jack called but she didn't stop, didn't turn around.

Gwen didn't understand why she was so upset, so affected by these revelations. Jack was well over 150 years old. He was bound to have secrets but this. This was too close to home. Jack would live forever, so committing to something like marriage would be that - forever.

Jack jogged up to where she sat on a bench looking out onto Cardiff bay. He was holding something in his hand but in the dim she couldn't quite make it out.

"Gwen? Are you okay?" Jack asked her as he now continued to walk towards her.

"You were engaged. Almost married." Gwen blurted out.

"Peter? He is really to senile to know when to be quiet." Jack tried to joke but it didn't get a rise out of Gwen.

"Jack…" Gwen began but he held up his free hand to halt her.

"It was a long time ago. Being with Estelle, it was wonderful but it could never last. Nothing I have will last." Jack sighed as he sat down, "I realised it on our wedding day. I went to pick up the flowers…"

"The roses?"

"The roses." Jack held out his hand which actually held in it one red, one yellow and one white rose. They were obviously the best of each bunch. "Where I'm from, we - we didn't have roses. We had these purple things that sort of looked like roses but not."

Gwen took the yellow rose out of Jack's hand, "Friendship." She twirled the flower in her fingertips before picking up the red rose to join its mate, "Love."

The white rose remained in Jack's palm, Gwen shook her head, "What does this one mean?"

"Hope." Jack offered her the stem, "Or to me it does."

Reaching into his pocket Jack pulled out a dark navy ribbon which he offered to Gwen. She cocked her head, "What's this for?"

"This is the ties the bind." Jack let the ribbon fall out and watched as it tangled in the wind. He picked up the two ends and tied them around the three stems Gwen held. Gwen offered the now tied flowers back to Jack but he refused them.

"They're for you." Jack smiled, it seemed to make him more boyish and young. Like he was on his first date or something.

"For me?" Gwen stared at the flowers with their new meaning revealed.

"Yeah why not? Do something creative with them." Jack nodded. Gwen quirked an eyebrow which made Jack chuckle.

"That's good Cooper, you're learning." Jack went to lean against the railing, watching the water lap at the sides.

Gwen followed him still holding the flowers. Wordlessly he took the flowers from her. She didn't protest or reach for them, Gwen simply watched.

Jack pulled on the bow first, "The ties that bind - the people we have to save." The ribbon was let go into the tiding wind. They both watched as it fluttered away.

Jack examined the yellow rose before dropping it into the water, "Friendship - one that withstands time, nourishes and completes."

The red rose fell under the same inspection, "Love - one that fills my heart with silent joy." Gwen placed her hand on Jack's forearm as he spoke. A simple understanding between the two.

The white rose seemed to glow in the pale moonlight before Jack dropped it into the water, "Hope - that one day we might be together." Jack didn't look at Gwen, never before had he told her how he felt, he had kept his feels hidden for so long, for both their sakes. So many things had and would keep them apart. Some obvious, some not so obvious, but barriers nonetheless.

Jack turned to say something but Gwen pressed her lips against Jack's, a soft connection between the pair. Both held the kiss, neither taking more or wanting less. Mutually they pulled away, Gwen averted her eyes. Jack knew her attraction to him was something she battled with. She wanted to stay faithful to Rhys but he knew what was in her heart. As it was exactly what was in his.

Slowly Jack brought his hand up to cup her neck, it was the only other thing that her face uncovered to the night air. Gently his hand rubbed over her pulse, it was beating erratically, a big neon sign that she was alive in this moment. Jack gave in to the urge to kiss the pulsing vein, naturally Gwen closed her eyes and tilted her head as Jack's mouth touched the skin.

In all the distraction Jack slid something into Gwen's palm, she loosely clutched at the softness he had pressed there. Slowly Jack's lips left her neck and kissed their way up to her ear until he whispered breathlessly against her ear, "Promise."

Opening her eyes, Gwen looked for Jack, who was striding confidently back to the SUV. Opening her hand, Gwen saw what she thought looked like a purple rose. Gwen smiled as she turned to the bay and dropped the rose in the water. "Promise - for the future, for Jack."

Gwen watched for a moment, the tides would change and the flowers would be washed out to sea and possibly never seen again. But that was the thing. Tides change and maybe with the next, the nature of her relationship with Jack would too.

Gwen's smile grew to a grin. Who was she kidding? Of course it would. She had made a promise.

Fin


End file.
